Matera is now officially the European Capital of Culture 2019. This remote little village in Southern Italy is an enchanting place that not only burst with a fascinating and thought provoking social history but also with the usual and conventional Italian hospitality, generosity and passion for outstanding cuisine.
I spent 48 hours in Matera a couple of weeks ago visiting my beloved friend who, I can proudly say, is leading the team of volunteers there. Although she is originally from a town in Basilicata located about 1.5 hours drive from there, she was the best possible tour guide. The town has probably one traditional dish per inhabitant (it’s not as small as you think though!) and as much as my friend made the effort, it was physically impossible to try all of Matera’s typical meals in such a compressed period of time. I returned to London with quite a comprehensive list though and I will eventually share my poor attempts to some of those southern Italian delicious recipes here in the blog, but today I won’t be sharing any.
Out of everything I tried I must admit there was something that completely stood out for me. As the good Italian daughter my friend is, she obediently accepts all the food her parents generously bring her from Basilicata every weekend. One of these parental indulgences was a jar of homemade preserved zucchini that I became completely addicted to. I got hold of the recipe with the warning and hence submissive understanding that I will never find quite the right flavour in the 'bland British courgettes' and that I needed to return to Italy if I wanted another genuine dosage of the delicious courgettes.
Ingredients
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| © The Teaspoon |
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| Matera © The Teaspoon |
Ingredients
2-3 large courgettes
White vinegar
White wine
Salt
Freshly ground black or white pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Finely cut or grate the courgettes (I used a spiralizer). Sprinkle with salt and place them in a strainer over the sink and leave overnight or for about 12 hours. The courgettes will release a lot of water. You may use some paper towels or kitchen roll to dry them further if needed.
Put the vinegar and white wine if using in a saucepan at medium to high heat until it boils. Add the courgettes and stir with a wooden spoon. Please note they need to be in the boiling vinegar for only 1 minute, no more. Remove from the heat and drain again on the strainer over the sink. Again, you may use some paper towers or kitchen roll to aid the draining. I left them overnight again but placed the strainer on top of a bowl and put everything inside the fridge. I covered the strainer with paper towers to avoid over drying. Once they are dry enough put them in bowl and mix with the crushed garlic, olive oil, salt and ground pepper. Place in a sterilised glass jar and refrigerate.
Serve the courgettes as an appetiser with crackers or bread of your choice. You may also use the escabeche as bruschetta topping along with pecorino cheese or stuff your homemade arepas with them. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you enjoy them!
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| © The Teaspoon |
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| © The Teaspoon |
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| Matera © The Teaspoon |
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